This is a discussion on How to consistently win when while being card dead? within the online poker forums, in the Cash Games section; I've only been playing poker for a couple years now and one of the big dilemmas for me is that it is still hard for

I've only been playing poker for a couple years now and one of the big dilemmas for me is that it is still hard for me to win or get up in chips while being card dead.

Does anyone care to give some feedback on what helps them while being card dead?

#2

7th November 2016, 4:34 AM

Aces2w1n [5,740]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: holdem

watching the action... talking to other regs get to know them.

think a penny saved is like a penny won

go for a walk or grab a drink or something to eat

learn how to play with bad cards??? open your range against weak players

#3

7th November 2016, 11:19 AM

braveslice [1,562]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: 6max zoom

You try to lose as little as you can with bad cards, so no you can’t really make profit if you are card dead, instead drive for losing as little as you can.

Then again, your question suggest, given the time frame, that you think you are card dead but actually are having plenty to work with. I suggest you take a good opening hand chart and learn it by heart. This is good stone to build on the learning. Start with tight charts, but remember to open up to regular charts even though you make profit.

You could always play 4 table zoom though, on average you are guaranteed 9 times AA or KK per hour :P

#4

7th November 2016, 12:21 PM

asedu [592]

Online Poker at: =$+

play in possition and use how your ops play

#5

7th November 2016, 12:36 PM

Tomioto3095 [58]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem omaha

I think you have to open more your range. But, for doing this, is important that you know your opponents.

#6

8th November 2016, 1:28 AM

Dorugremon [329]

Game: Hold 'Em

Originally Posted by coltonn

I've only been playing poker for a couple years now and one of the big dilemmas for me is that it is still hard for me to win or get up in chips while being card dead.

Does anyone care to give some feedback on what helps them while being card dead?

What's worse? Running card dead or being dealt lots of Big Slicks and whiffing every time, picking up big pairs like aces, kings, and queens and getting them cracked?

It can be frustrating to pick up trash hand after trash hand. We didn't play to fold as that's no fun. It just has to be done if you expect to win.

Secondly, the only one sitting there who knows you're card dead is you. Your opponents don't know that. Take advantage of your "nitty" image and steal some blinds. After doing nothing but fold for a half dozen orbits, open from the #1 hole with ATC. You'll get respect and take down the blinds, or get a caller and drop him with a c-bet. If you encounter too much resistance, then it goes no farther unless you really hit the flop. Fish pursue hopeless bluffs, otters don't.

Finally, never forget that this, too, shall pass. Sometimes, it takes loads of patience, but you'll need chips when you start picking up hands, and you won't have them if you blew them off out of pure frustration.

You won't win every day, every session. This is Poker and some days you're the fly and some days you're the windscreen. Chips saved spend the same as chips won, and it's always best to walk away with a little something than nothing.

#7

8th November 2016, 1:52 AM

karl coakley [506]

Poker at: ACR

re: Poker & How to consistently win when while being card dead?

If your card dead, keep folding. Every penny you waste on marginal hands could be used to raise a good one. This is a huge problem people have playing live. The game is even slower and when card dead its like watching paint dry.

Don't get cash strategy confused with tournament strategy where the blinds grow and antes start which allows you to open your range, stay tight. Simply put, your not going to win when card dead. The cards will come, wait your turn.

Playing a few tables at once helps. It keeps your mind occupied when card dead.

#8

8th November 2016, 10:27 AM

Ian the Fish [371]

Online Poker at: 888

Game: NL Hold'em

Since this is posted in the cash games section, I am assuming you are talking about cash tables.

As to your initial question - it really depends on what you consider winning. I would argue that winning is not necessarily making profit, as profit can be made by playing like a complete mongoloid monkey, who just happens to catch cards.

I consider winning, when I can pick up on players playing patterns; when I avoid risky situations and when I continuously make less mistakes. If you continue to be aware at the tables and don't go all ape-crazy due to some tilt, you're a winner in my book.

By the way, the cards do come eventually - it's just a matter of being able to extract the most value out of the correct spots.

Oh and, you do not necessarily need cards to win. There are some really nice instructional videos in LeakBuster, which explain the power of position and how you just need to beat your opponent in 2 / 3 categories:

-Position
-Skill
-Cards

If you do have your opponent beat in 2, you are putting yourself in a better opportunity to win.

#9

8th November 2016, 7:04 PM

Sidetracked [323]

Are you talking about tournaments or cash games?

In a cash game, just be patient.

In tournaments, you don't have that luxury, so you have to pick your spots to bluff.

#10

8th November 2016, 8:45 PM

arod6893 [61]

Online Poker at: ACR

Game: All

You're never card dead.

Take advantage of the information people are giving you, and take advantage of the image and the situations you're being given. There is no such thing as card dead.

#11

12th November 2016, 6:57 AM

ChuckNola [61]

Poker at: Plays on ACR

try to pick off weak open bets by 3 betting. You gotta be willing to 3 bet with any two cards when you see a good BELIEVABLE spot. Always look to steal a blind once or every other blind cycle.

#12

17th November 2016, 1:47 AM

mikey481968 [302]

Online Poker at: betonline

Game: holdem

oh thats what i been doing wrong so like if u are on the bottun u need to 3 bet no matter what you got ok

#13

17th November 2016, 1:48 AM

mikey481968 [302]

Poker at: betonline

Game: holdem

try playing in a cash game whereno one folds and justcasue there are 3 calles for 24 chips the forth one cause and beats my strwith a k6 when i had a 5 errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

#14

21st November 2016, 7:09 PM

the0 [80]

re: Poker & How to consistently win when while being card dead?

I think that you can sometimes bet with air on the flop, turn, and rive finally to get your opponent off of a marginal hand.

#15

22nd November 2016, 1:40 AM

edc1 [476]

Poker at: acr

Game: nlhe

two things come to mind reading this post
1st kung fu series on tv-patience grasshopper your time will come
2nd deer hunting-hunted since i was 12 now 52-in 40 years ive learned a few things about deer hunting-it takes alot of patience to bag a deer especialy a wall hanger-ive sat for days trying to bag one with a rifle moving around different, times of day-then moved to bow hunting which is alot of patience but first scouting out areas-if i can do that then i must have some patience,so it shouldnt be a big deal to get dealt total garbage for an hour -patince is the key to many things

#16

23rd November 2016, 5:03 AM

Poker247 [184]

Online Poker at: ACR

Game: NL Holdem

Make sure you are playing proper ranges from position...also you can open up more against weak players. If you truly are card dead for a decent amount of time, it is time to take a break and come back later. Also, online poker allows one to find other tables easily, so you could try switching tables.

#17

23rd November 2016, 2:16 PM

bkr3026 [49]

Definitely try to be patient.
Especially when the cards ake a turn for the worst for you because that usually means the cards have started to take a better turn for someone else. I try to have a couple of different tables open so that if my cards are dead on one table, then it seems to be better on another.

#18

23rd November 2016, 2:45 PM

antonis32123 [1,758]

Online Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

Play position as much as you can , spot weak players , if you can't then you are the one , I'm kidding , wait a little and leave the table if the cards don't get improved .If it's a tournament ., again position, weak players, try a little playing some cards fro a wider range , if that doesn't help , keep waiting , the cards will come all together , many times has happenned to me.

#19

23rd November 2016, 8:53 PM

Guiguero [28]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

I usually play with bad cards, but being careful and only in a few situations.

For example you are at the button and the others fold, you can raise and steal small and big blind. Of course, if someone bet you have to fold. But if someone calls, analyze the hand and you probably win

With a bad position (example under the gun) you dont have to play with bad cards, never

#20

24th November 2016, 9:57 AM

braveslice [1,562]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: 6max zoom

Yesterday I opened K2s from CO vs 75% VPIP player on the big blind, figuring TOP pair would be plenty, got 2P got stacks in OTT with 80% equity. That was a proud moment, widening range with a reason and figuring it out during play.

All thanks to Ian post, figuring these spots got lot easier:

Originally Posted by Ian the Fish

...need to beat your opponent in 2 / 3 categories:

-Position
-Skill
-Cards

If you do have your opponent beat in 2, you are putting yourself in a better opportunity to win.

#21

24th November 2016, 10:13 AM

Ricey155 [941]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: hold em

re: Poker & How to consistently win when while being card dead?

You need to hit, I don't see most folding a hand if they have a piece of the flop online ! But looking at most flops if its cheap play any cards and #GetLucky

#22

24th November 2016, 6:50 PM

Snakmacher [530]

Online Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

You dont need to hit .. you can have 92 but you have to bet when it matters .. that means you see somebody raises x3 bet flop comes up 7 7 J and everybody checks you hit raise x1 bet .. they call or fold. turn comes 5 and you do 1/2 bet and if they dont have or are not fish they usually fold thinking.. you might have nuts

#23

25th November 2016, 12:48 AM

chemdawg42 [27]

Game: holdem bro

My advice would be to fold bad cards. 0 ev is still better than -ev.

#24

25th November 2016, 1:27 AM

CriesuaID [477]

Online Poker at: PS/888

Game: Holdem

In a cash game, just be patient.

#25

25th November 2016, 1:38 AM

strodawg [122]

Poker at: black chip

Game: holdem

I think i know what you mean

Originally Posted by coltonn

I've only been playing poker for a couple years now and one of the big dilemmas for me is that it is still hard for me to win or get up in chips while being card dead.

Does anyone care to give some feedback on what helps them while being card dead?

I think your talking about not catching any hands. Or getting AK and all low comes out ect. Well my advice would be to get to know your table watch how they bet closely. That way you can try to set up bluffs. Raise on your preflop and if you get reraise more that double your bet fold if you dont get raised and you get called check it watch how they check it and pay attention to see what postion they are in. UTG to one pass the big blind can have anything believe their bets anyone else are looking for their aces and kings watch out on their over bets. If you are calling someone down you can try and bet on them if they check, but if they call that might mean u wanna fold depending how big their bet is agaist your stack. I hope this helps

#26

25th November 2016, 2:16 AM

Sil3ntness [1,026]

Online Poker at: Carbon

Game: NLHE

Patience and discipline goes a long way in poker.

#27

25th November 2016, 3:33 AM

HiSavin [3]

There has been a lot of good advice in this thread. Patience is key when it comes to cash games, and while you're folding all those bad hands, use the down time to study your opponents. Knowing who you're playing against makes all the difference. Find their weaknesses and exploit them. Remember...no one knows you're holding 62. Find the right spot and make a move to at least collect blinds that no one else wants to fight for. The cards will come back to you eventually. Just be patient.

#28

25th November 2016, 4:16 AM

Sil3ntness [1,026]

Online Poker at: Carbon

Game: NLHE

re: Poker & How to consistently win when while being card dead?

Only thing about folding so much is "regs" will pick up on it. Many times I'm playing live cash someone will mention how I haven't played any hands haha.

I just use that to my advantage to rep stronger ranges on boards that don't connect with theirs.

#29

28th November 2016, 2:32 PM

coolDadJimbo [104]

Poker at: PokerStars

Game: holdem

"a chip saved is a chip won"

i really like that... its how you have to think when card dead.... i often get bored folding and then get caught playing a marginal hand.... it's better to be patient and "save/win" chips

#30

29th November 2016, 9:07 AM

Vadimka2704 [173]

Online Poker at: PokerStars

Game: Holdem

Wait for a normal hand,no hurry, it's not a tournament.

#31

1st December 2016, 2:42 PM

Morly4 [24]

Poker at: Betonline

Always use the advantage of your position, it will help u a lot

#32

1st December 2016, 7:11 PM

Vini_lepoker [118]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

Sometimes you won't consistently win. You know this is not up to you, just accept it. Control the things you can - making +EV decisions and not tilting.

#33

2nd December 2016, 6:51 AM

Haanski [82]

Poker at: ACR

Game: NLHE/PLO

you don't always need the cards to win sometimes it is what ranges you can represent vs your opponents ranges

#34

5th December 2016, 6:35 PM

Dedulia [77]

Online Poker at: PokerStars

not enough time just wait

#35

5th December 2016, 7:18 PM

migesan [849]

Poker at: stars,888

Game: holdem

re: Poker & How to consistently win when while being card dead?

it is better to try all the games (if you have money and time) and see where you go to play better, perhaps in smaller tournaments, you'll be more relaxed while playing with some "impossible" played cards